Making the Ultimate Sacrifice for Freedom

Milam County Historical Commission
Milam County, Texas

All Credit for this article
goes to Mike Brown
and the
Rockdale Reporter

Making The Ultimate Sacrifice For Freedom

by Mike Brown - Editor

Rockdale Reporter - May 29, 2014

Legion program honors 236 Milam County war dead

From the Battle of the Somme to the Battles for Afghanistan, 236.

Relatives and friends answered “here” in memory as 236 names were read at the new

Rockdale Carlyle American Legion Post 358 home on Monday.

They ranged from World War I to the Global War on Terror.

Joe Twohig, Carlyle Post 358 commander, served as master of ceremonies.

Les Davenport, post first vice-commander, gave a veterans tribute and Jack Brooks gave a

POW/MIA remembrance.

Name readers were RHS students Nick Klecka, Melanie Ibarra, Geritt Davenport, Ryann

Morgan, Brad Young, Shay Savenport and Autumn Davenport.

Communities in Concert Band provided music and a moving trumpet duo of “Taps” was played

by Lee Thomason and Rob Odell.

Colors were presented and retired by the Post color guard.

Invocation and benediction were by Donald David, post chaplain.

Other Carlyle Post officers are: Ken Clark, adjutant; Jim McKimmey, finance; Ronnie

Faust, service; Charlie Watson, sergeant at arms.

Milam County’s war dead were listed as follows:

WORLD WAR I - John H. Andrews, John M. Batey, Harry W. Beavers, Ben Bennett, Joe Brown

Jr., Jesse J. Bullard, Lenon T. Burgess, Hicks R. Carlyle, James W. Carlyle, Samuel T.

Childress.

Lloyd W. Clarke, William M. Craben, Fred David, John T. Davis, Mahan H. Doggett, Rudolph

Fieseler, Jesse L. Flemming, Rogers Franklin, Charles Green, William E. Hardy, Ollie

Henderson.

Emil Hengst, John T. Hill, Theodore Hoes, Jake G. Hollingsworth, Floyd A. Jackson, Adolf

F. Klement, Edmond Krull, Joseph A. Kunz, John T. Lanier, Oliver H. Lankford.

Frank Larza, Edd Lowery, Robert A. Martin, Jesse Matthews, Roy W. May, Branch Miller,

Joseph P. Micak, Lee H. Mullinax, Willie A. Roberts, Joe V. Salac, James Seaton, Frank W.

Sefcik.

William L. Sefcik, Sandy Shepard, Daniel N. Smith, Aubrey Storey, David V. Tapp, Lee

Thompson, Ira W. Walker, Leonard T. Warren, Elbert S. Westbrook, Kelly M. White, Manuel

White, Charlie M. Williams, George L. Wright.

WORLD WAR II - Elton L. Abernathy, James C. Allen, L.C. Angell, George Aplin, Willard M.

Avrett, William E. Baggett, Henry A. Baker, Wade H. Bankston, Victor J. Barchenger, Owen

J. Barker.

Paul C. Bartlett, Clyde D. Batte, Aldine Beard Jr., Johnnie E. Beard, Morris J. Beasley,

Robert J. Bennett, Tommy S. Blake, Homer D. Bland, Otto D. Breitkreuz, James P. Brown,

Billy B. Bryan, Aaron Burns, Wilma T. Caldwell Jr.

Elbert Callaway, E. H. Caywood, Frank C. Chernoskey, C. W. Critchfield, Jesse M.

Critchfield, Ernest A. Davis, James R. Dobson, Leon G. DuBois, John Dunnam, Woodrow W.

Ermis, Marvin L. Ethridge.

Elton Fisher, Homer D. Frazier, J.B. Fulcher, Howard Galbreath, Edward Gandy, Clifford D.

Garner, William C. Gillis, Thomas H. Gilliland, George Goodwin Jr., Robert N. Griffin,

Julius S. Hardin, Dillard D. Harris, James T. Harris.

Jessie Hernandez, John Hernandez, Vincente Y. Hernandez, Joseph J. Hubner, Wesley Howard

Hoover, Howard G. Hickman, Burton A Hill, Curtis E. Hill, William D. Horton, Gilbert L.

Hughes.

Howard V. , Harry Johnson, Don L. Johnson, Roy W. Jones, Loma T. Judkins, Van Kennon, Joe

E. Kleypus, George R. Knight, Johnnie C. Krause.

Frank J. Kutnak, Edwin E. Kuzel, Thomas P. Lane, Clayton D. Lassiter, Guthrie F. Layne

Jr., Otto W. Lehmann.

William A. Lewis, Calvin C. Lively, Major R. Looney, Albert E. Lumpkins, Wayne H.

McCallum Dudley V. McGuyer, John C. McGregor, Wilburn D. McKay, Alvin C. Manning, Rufus

P. Marin.

Albin C. Martinek Jr., Frank Meeks Jr., Gilbert O. Menzel, Thomas A. Merritt, Marvin

Mode, Edward E. Moerbe, Pedro Moreno, Johnny M. Morton, Melvin A. Moses, Thomas M.

Nelson, Roger T. Newton, William J. Newton.

Joe Novotny Jr., Sam Oliver, Jose Ordonez, George H. Peets, Del Posival, Jesse D. Pratt,

Charlie A. Reimer, Homer F. Reimer, Roy Reyes, Jose M. Rivera, Earnest Ross Jr., Winfred

R. Russell, Wesley E. Scheer, Laurence C. Schiller.

Ewald E. Schroeder, Elmer Schwinger, Max Schwinger, John W. Sebek, Ferol Server, O.V.

Sheffield, Max L. Shelton, James T. Shuemate, Ralph Sides, Lee Simmons Jr., Jay W. Smith.

Howard K. Stallcup, Claborn A. Steele, Graham H. Stringer, Arthur Taylor Jr., Frank M.

Tepera, Frank M. Terry, Stephen D. Terry, Jerry F. Tomek, Claude Turner, James S. Tyson,

Walter J. Ulicnik.

Quintin Vasquez, Otis Walker, John H. Wallace, Coy M. Weems, Delbert Wells, Marvin J.

Wentrcek, Robert White, Vernon Willeford, Milton T. Williams, Orville D. Williams, E. F.

Wolle Jr., William Worcester, Halfred P. Wutrich, J.Z. Young, August J. Zavodny.

KOREAN WAR - Ivy O. Backhaus, Nicolas Garza, John Hale Jr., Charlie E. Hux, Robert D.

King, Tom King, Joe McMurray, Frank Meek Jr., Frank H. Thompson.

VIETNAM WAR - Albert L. Bell, William R. Binker III, Howe K. Clark Jr., Tommie J. Clark,

Charles W. Clinard, Felix M. Conde-Falcon, Robert M. Dauphine, Weldon D. Davenport,

Dennis W. Fisher, James T. Griffin Jr., Billy J. Holt, John L. Rosemond, Allen P. Weaver.

WAR ON TERROR - Darryn D. Andrews, Michael Cahill, Charles L. Price III.

Communities in Concert Band provided stirring patriotic and military music for Memorial Day Ceremony.

From left, those on program included post members and RHS students: Jack Brooks, Donald David, Joe Twohig (post commander), Ryann Morgan, Brad Young, Shay Davenport, Autumn Davenport and Les Davenport.

‘Attention!’ as color guard members Charlie Watson (L) and Milton Holmes post colors to begin ceremony.

Rob Odell (L) and Lee “Sparky” Thomason play “Taps” as
the Rockdale Municipal Development District (MDD) dedicated
the western US 79 gateway marker to Rockdale veterans
killed defending freedom during a ceremony Memorial
Day morning. The marker is one of three at entrances
to the city on US 79 and
US 77.

Photos by Mike Brown

EMOTIONS - There were plenty on display early Monday (Memorial Day) when the Rockdale Municipal Development District (MDD) dedicated the western US 79 gateway marker in honor of Rockdale veterans who gave their lives defending freedom. Above (L-R) veterans Jack Brooks, Tony Walko and Tim Guthrie listen as Mayor John King, (at right) delivers the dedicatory address. Others on the program included Gary Griesbach, MDD president; Bobby Pelzel, markers project chair; Emily McCoy, national anthem; Murray Street Church of Christ youth choir, national anthem in sign language. Special guests were veterans and RHS seniors Jon and Jacob Machac, enlistees in the Army National Guard

Photos by Mike Brown

ALL ABOUT SIGNS—Bobby Pelzel, who chaired projects leading to placing of three gateway welcome signs, addresses the dedication ceremony Monday which formally dedicated the sign at the western US 79 city limits in honor of Rockdale veterans who lost their lives defending freedom. In the background are members of the Murray Street Church of Christ youth choir who provided interpretation in sign language for the dedication. There was also a Memorial Day observance at American Legion Carlyle Post 358

Photo courtesy of Mike Brown